Tool



Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

oarrao stares 1,467,661 Parana orator.

CHARLES UNDY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OR TO VALLEY FORGE CUTLER/Y COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JE RSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TOOL.

Application filed September 21, 1922. Serial No. 589,556.

To all whom it may concern.

Be'it known that I, CHARLES UNDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools, of which the following is aspecifi'cation.

The invention pertains to a novel pocket tool of utility for a number of purposes but more especially, according to my'invention, useful for the work ordinarily accomplished by a pair of pliers, which have usually been a separate tool not conveniently carried in the pocket of a pair of trousers.

In accordance with my invention I make use of a handle of the character commonly known as a pocket-knife handle, and therein pivotally secure a pair of pliers, andpreferably a blade and other instruments, capable of being folded into the handle, and the whole being compact and capable of being efliciently used and also of being conveniently carried in the pocket.

I The pliers are of' special construction in respect to the handle members thereof, {one of which is left free to be operated and 1 the other of which is pivotally secured at its end between the sides of one end of the handlejand the handle is of special construction in respect to the back spring for the pliers, said spring servingtoyieldingly between them tending to keep the jaws of the pliers open.

The invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, and said invention will be fully.

understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool embodying my invention, the members of the tool and particularly the pliers being shown in open position or turned out from the handle Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through one side portion of the same, the pliers being shown as partly closed into the handle and in position'to be fully turned into the handle and have the free member thereof automatically closed against the other member by the back-spring of the handle;

Fig. 3 is a like section of the same showing the members of the pliers as closed together and within the handle;

"Fig. 4 is a top view of the tool and shows the pliers in their full openposition as represented in Fig. 1; and

F'g. 5 is a side elevation of the two members of the pliers shown .as juxtaposed for assembly. 1

In the drawings 10 designates the handle ofthe tool, 11 a knife-blade pivoted in one end thereof, 12 a blade serving as a screwdriver and for other purposes pivoted in the opposite end of said handle, 13 a pair of pliers pivotally secured in one end of said handle, and 14 a back-spring secured in said handle for the pliers 13 and having a special cooperative action therewith.

The handlelO is of the general construction of a pocket-knife handle and therefore does not require special description with the exception as to the features thereof pertaining to the pliers 13. The blades 11, 12

are secured by the transverse pins 15, 16 respectively, in the customary manner and may be folded into the handle 10 or extended therefrom for use, as usual.

The'pliers 13 comprise a handlemember 17 which is pivotally mounted on the pin 15, and ahandle member 18 which is free for operation, not being directly connected with the. handle 10. The members 17-, 18 have on their forward ends, respectively, the jaws 19, 20, and said members and'jaws are pivotally connectedtogether by a pin 21 which extends through their hub members 22, 23, respectively. The handle member 17 has a leaf spring 24 secured to it, and the forward end of said spring is flexed against the handle member 18 and when free to do so acts to turn the handle member 18 outwardly from the handle member 17 or to the position shown in Fig. 1, this action of the spring 2 1 also serving to separate the jaws 19, 20 or to turn said jaws to their open position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The free end 'of the handle member 18 is preferably round- 'as will be readily understood.

be explained, and the pivoted end of the handle member 17 is formed with a tang 26 through which the pin passes and whlch has afrounded outer end 27 and substantially fiat inner and outer edges 28, 29. The

tang 26 is ofiset inwardly from the plane of turned into the handle 10, as shown in Fig.3.

The jaws 19, are constructed to perform-several duties and said jaws have matching plain surfaces 31, concave matchingtoothed surfaces 32 and, adjacent to their inner ends, narrow recesses 33, 34,

- respectively, which, when the pliers are in openposition match each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but which when the handle members and jaws 19, 20 are closed together,

' are offset fromeach other as represented in Fig. 3. The recesses 33, 34 are provided for cutting wire, and the surfaces 31, 32 of the jaws 19, 20 are adapted for various duties, The pliers 13 while foldable within the handle 10 and therefore not of large proportions, are very strongand durable and capable of many practical utilities.

" *VVhen the pliers 13 are in their open position, the handle 10 is very useful in en-- abling the operator to firmly hold the pliers, while at the same time pressing against the handle member 18 to carry on thework for which the pliers-may be desired. The spring 24 automatically turns the handle member -18outward ly to openthe jaws 19, 20, and the"back-spring 14 is adapted tov the tang 23 of thehandle member 17 and serves to very'firmly'hold said handle in its extended 1 position, the edge 28 of the tang then hearing against the adjacent edge of the backspring 14, and the shoulder 35 on the handle -member 17 abutting against the adjacent end of said back-spring 14.

back-spring 14 is formed with a substantially fiat surface 36 for cooperation withthe tang 26, and with a concave surface 37to cooperate with the end 25 of the handle member 18 during the closing movement ofthe pliers into the handle 10 andon the G0" openingmovement ofsaid pliers therefrom. In Fig. 2 I illustrate one position of the pliers 13 when being turned into the handle 10; and it may be seen that when the pliers whileopen'are1being turned'into the handle 10, the rounded end 25 of the handle member- 18 engages the sloping inner edge of the concave surface 37, and when the pliers are in this position, further pressure against the pliers to turn them into the handle 10 results in the free end of the handle member 18 riding along the concave surface 37 and in being by said surface closed toward the handle member 17. and finally into the space 30 along the inner edge of the handle member 17 formed bythe offsetting of the tang 26, the handle member 18 finally taking the position shown in Fig. 3 and closing the jaws 19, 20.

The concave surface 37 on the back-spring 14 is also of utility during the opening or unfolding ofthe pliers from the handle 10 in that .during this movement of the pliers the rounded end 25 of the handle member 18 will ride along the concave surface 37 and said member will gradually open from the member 17, said surface 37 actingto control the spring 24,.the pliers at a certain stage of the opening movement taking the position shown in Fig. 2. The concave surface 37 of the back-spring 14 compels a gradual opening of the member 18 of the pliers under the action of the spring 24, thereby relieving the spring 24 from sudden strain The pliers 13 when unfolded from the handle have their jaws 19, 2O separated and set ready for use, as shown in Fig. 1. The handle member 17 at one side thereof near the hub 23 is formed with a nail-recess 38 for use in facilitating the outward turning of the pliers from the handle 10.

My invention pertains more particularly to the construction of the pliers and to their cooperative relation with the handle 10 and back-spring 14, said back-spring having been constructed with special reference to the pliers with both of whose members said spring cooperates. The back-spring 14 is formed with the surfaces 36, 37 hereinbefore described, and atits rear end, adjacent to the pin16, said spring is formed with an inclined surfacev 39 to provide a seat for the jaw 19 of the pliers when the pliers are turned into the handle 10. The plier members are narrow in width and have fiat sides and lie in the same plane and hence the pliers may be folded into a handle 10 of moderate size, while at the same time said lliiinilge is adapted to accommodate blades What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A tool of the character described, comprlsmg a handle of pocket-knife handle type having a back-spring, and a pair of pliers one of whose handle members is formed at its outer end with a tang which is pivotally secured in one end of said handle and in cooperative relation to said spring, said handle being adapted to have said pair of pliers folded into it, and said pair of pliers comprising two handle members, one being the one pivoted to said handle and the other being free for manual operation, and a leaf-spring acting normally to maintain the plier members in open position, and said tang being offset from the inner edge of its handle member to form a space along said edge to accommodate said leaf-spring and to receive said free handle member when said handle members are in closed relation.

2. A tool of the character described, comprising a handle of pocket-knife handle type having a back-spring, and a pair of pliers one of whose handle members is formed at its outer end with a tang which is pivotally secured in one end of said handle and in cooperative relation tosaid spring, said handle being adapted to have said pair of pliers folded into it, and said pair of member by said leaf-spring when the pliers are being turned outwardly from said handle.

3. A tool of the character described, comprising a handle of pocket-knife handle type having a back-spring, and a pair of pliers one of whose handle members is formed at its outer end with a tang which is pivotally secured in one end of said handle and in cooperative relation to said spring, said handle being adapted to have said pair of pliers folded into it, and said pair of pliers comprising two handle members, one being the one pivoted to said handle and the other being free for manual operation, and a leaf-spring acting normally to maintain the plier members in open position, and said back-spring having a substantially flat surface at one end to cooperate with said tang, an intermediate surface to efiect the closing of the free handle member toward the other handle member when the pliers are being turned into said handle, and a seating surface at its other end to receive the outer end of the pliers when the same are within said handle.

4. A tool of the character described, comprising a handle of pocket-knife handle type having a back-spring, and a pair of pliers composed of two pivoted members having jaws and handles, and a leaf-spring secured to one handle and flexed against the other handle, said members having flat sides lying in the same plane and narrow in width to adapt them to said knife handle, one of said plier handles being formed on its end with a tang which is pivotally secured in one end of said knife handle in cooperative relation to said baclcspring, said knife handle being adapted to have said pair of pliers folded into it, and said tang being offset from the inner edge of its plier handle to form a space along said edge to receive the other lier handle when the pliers are closed and within said knife handle.

Signed at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 11th day of September A. D. 1922.

CHARLES UN DY. 

